Fisher said he hopes to continue playing, but isn't certain he will.

"Right now basketball is not a priority," he said. "I don't have any plans to retire from basketball, but at this point the considerations for Tatum medically will be what we'll pursue ... first and foremost.

"I'm not assuming that I'm just gonna get a job," Fisher added. "I don't think that much of myself."

Both Jazz owner Larry H. Miller and basketball operations senior vice president Kevin O'Connor seemed more optimistic about Fisher's employability.

The question, though, is at what cost?

"It's unlikely that he's going to re-sign for what he's walking away from," Miller said, "and he knows that."

So be it, Fisher suggested.

"The future I don't know about," he said. "I do still love to play basketball. I would enjoy still playing the game. But there are lot of things to consider going forward that will determine when and where that will be.

"There are only certain places that can happen," Fisher added, "and we'll see how that goes from here."

Fisher, a married father of four who turns 33 next month, isn't the only one with an uncertain future.

The Jazz must now re-evaluate their own needs.

O'Connor, for one, understands that it must be done.

"This is a decision that Derek made, and it's a sacrifice. This is the decision that Larry (Miller) made, and it's a sacrifice from a team concept," he said. "But it's easy to make that decision, because it's the right decision for the right reasons."

The Jazz perhaps must now adjust their focus in the NBA's summer free-agency market, which opened this past weekend.

Utah has expressed interest in, among others, Toronto swingman Morris Peterson and Dallas swingman Devean George.

Peterson is a potential replacement starter at shooting guard who could be had in the open market, though several other teams are interested as well.

Now, though, the Jazz also have a new need at point guard.

None of that is lost on Fisher, who averaged 10.1 points last season.

"I'm forever grateful to be allowed to make this decision," he said. "You know, in our game this is not something that the team has to do. This is not something any team in any professional sport, for that matter, has to do.

"Obviously I'm taking a risk in losing a lot financially. The team is taking a risk in losing a lot of in terms of the team dynamic, and what has been built in terms of the quality of the team," he said. "But it also gives my family and I the ability to make the decision that's best for us going forward, and it also gives the team the opportunity to make their decisions in a timely manner as well."